With two deaths every day due to work accidents, 2022 becomes a "disastrous" year in terms of accidents in the world of work, according to the report presented yesterday by the UGT union. The data compiled by the union show that fatal accidents at work increased by 16.4% in 2022 and exceeded 860. “These are worrying figures and we believe that it has been a disastrous year. It is an invisible drama for society because deaths at work have been normalized. Behind these numbers there are people,” said the UGT occupational health secretary, Ana García de la Torre, when presenting the report.
In total, the number of work accidents that occurred in 2022 was 1,218,211, which represents an increase of 4.6% compared to 2021. Work accidents that caused the low, until reaching 653,510.
The leading cause of accidents at work resulting in time off work were overexertion on the musculoskeletal system, with a total of 166,301 (29% of accidents), while heart attacks and strokes continue to be the leading cause of death in work with 301 fatal accidents. A figure that represents 23.4% more than in 2021.
On the other hand, workers between the ages of 16 and 34 suffered 160,660 accidents at work with sick leave, 28% of the total, of which 661 were serious and 67 fatal.
In addition, a total of 82,236 commuting accidents occurred, that is, on the way to work, 6.4% more than the data recorded during 2021. García de la Torre explained that 153 workers died in this type of accident , which means an increase of 17.7%.
An additional complaint made by the union is that it is an invisible problem, of which public opinion is unaware. As a sign of this invisibility, they cited their absence in the debate on the upcoming elections. “None of the political parties has in its electoral program a proposal to avoid labor accidents. We urge the central government to act accordingly and to develop measures to eliminate this intolerable data”, affirmed the secretary of Occupational Health and Environment of the Federation of Industry, Construction and Agriculture of UGT, Pilar Ituero.
On the other hand, from the union what they do value positively are the latest measures adopted to avoid accidents at work caused by the strong heat. “We believe that the regulation that prohibits certain outdoor work during heat waves is an important step and progress. We encourage companies to discuss protocols to prevent the effects of heat," said the UGT occupational health secretary.
The report records that in 2022 there were 157 accidents with sick leave during the working day due to heat and sunstroke, of which six were fatal, an increase of 190.7% since in 2021 there were 54 accidents for this reason, of both of which were fatal. Likewise, 89 accidents with time off work were declared due to the effects of extreme temperatures, light and radiation.
